It’s always exciting to see my work in print, and to know that people out there can access it and will hopefully enjoy it, but for whatever reason, some publications just feel giddier than others. Maybe it’s a special piece, maybe a special venue. Maybe it’s a bit of both, as is the case with my recipe-essay, “Meat Ragu a la Squillante,” which has just gone live over at Sweet: A Literary Confection!

This piece is most certainly special to me, for several reasons: it’s part of Dead Dad Day: A Memoir of Food and My Father; it’s about not just my dad, but also my grandfather, my son, and one of my good friends; it has a soundtrack of music I adore; and it’s about one of my favorite things to cook and to eat!

The venue is also special to me. I discovered Sweet several years ago and was just smitten instantly. Essays like this one, by my friend, Geoff Schmidt, and this one by the very talented Lisa Romeo, stayed with me long after I closed my laptop screen, and I knew I wanted my work to appear there someday. So I’ve been sending my essays and crossing my fingers for a long time. It feels good, today, to be in such good company!

I hope you enjoy the essay and the recipe, and I’m curious: what music do you like to cook to?